as in rebellion
refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something
In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization. A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.
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Examples of civil disobedience in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
This school year, Berkeley struggled with how to handle civil disobedience over the Israel-Hamas war.
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Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 6 June 2024
In recent months, several colleges have disciplined pro-Palestinian activists for ordinary speech acts and mobilized force against their acts of civil disobedience.
—Eric Levitz, Vox, 15 May 2024
Nonviolent civil disobedience, throughout American history, has demonstrably been the most effective tool through which minds are changed.
—Gregory Meeks, New York Daily News, 8 May 2024
Today in history On this day in 1922, Mohandas K. Gandhi was sentenced in India to six years’ imprisonment for civil disobedience.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil disobedience 
Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 6 June 2024
In recent months, several colleges have disciplined pro-Palestinian activists for ordinary speech acts and mobilized force against their acts of civil disobedience.
—Eric Levitz, Vox, 15 May 2024
Nonviolent civil disobedience, throughout American history, has demonstrably been the most effective tool through which minds are changed.
—Gregory Meeks, New York Daily News, 8 May 2024
Today in history On this day in 1922, Mohandas K. Gandhi was sentenced in India to six years’ imprisonment for civil disobedience.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
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At a time of growing youth rebellion, of goths and grunge music, these witches wore their defiance on their bodies, an unapologetic revolt against societal norms.Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024
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Under the Same Stars spans three periods of time — 1940s Germany, 1980s West Germany, and 2020 New York City — to track a historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and sacrifice.Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The tradition of Día de los Muertos is paradoxically both an embrace of the inevitability of death and defiance against it.R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
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Some three decades after Marsha’s untimely death, Tourmaline sees her great subject’s impact everywhere — on the red carpet and in the halls of power, but especially in our community’s capacity to show up at both: to exude joy in defiance.Wren Sanders, Them, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Women have also developed other forms of gendered noncooperation that can benefit mass movements.Erica Chenoweth, Foreign Affairs, 8 Feb. 2022
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Women have pioneered other forms of social noncooperation, as well.Erica Chenoweth, Foreign Affairs, 8 Feb. 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near civil disobedience
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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